1961 Porsche 356B Sunroof Coupe - Extremely Well-Optioned and Strong-Performing

1961 Porsche 356 356B Sunroof Coupe Description

1961 Porsche 356B Sunroof Coupe
s/n 114030, Engine no. 800185
Signal Red with Black Leather
Introduced to replace the 356A in 1959, the 356B brought new levels of civilization and refinement to Porsche’s increasingly popular and capable sports car line. While the A and C models of the 356 have traditionally attracted the most attention from mainstream collectors, the 356 B is an underappreciated and comparatively affordable avenue into classic Porsche ownership. The 356B saw mechanical refinements including more substantial oil pump, more effective bumpers, improved ZF gearboxes and shift linkages, improved brakes, and stronger connecting rods. As always, the cars incorporated thoughtful and functional design, along with the tried and true Porsche dogmas of high quality, value, reliability, and mechanical robustness. The cars were offered in Roadster, Cabriolet, and Coupe from, and in the case of this very special example, in Coupe form with a sunroof option fitted at the factory.
Exceedingly well-optioned, this particular car was sold new as a 1961 year model US market car, finished in Signal red with black leatherette interior, and extensively equipped with the following option list, all verified by the Certificate of Authenticity: sunroof, 2 armrests, dimmable rearview mirror, silver metallic luggage rack with straps, 2 headrests, Becker “Mexico” radio, 2 loudspeakers, antenna, electric clock, cocoa floor mats, crested wheel caps, Koni shocks, an anti-theft locking device, Metzeler tires, and sitting on ventilated chrome wheels.
The previous owner bought this car in January 2009. It had been sitting for a number of years, having never been registered in the Vancouver, Canada area. He is employed by one of the world’s foremost Mercedes 300SL restorers, and decided to go through it and restore/improve everything mechanically and cosmetically (without painting). His goal from the outset was to make this a reliable, fun car that could be driven across the country with minimal preparation. He literally started at the front and worked his way back, replacing every bearing, bushing, seal or component that could wear with new, excellent used, or remanufactured parts. Repro parts were used only when absolutely necessary.
In 2013, the previous owner obtained the kardex, and with a little detective work was able to track down the original owner in California. He provided some background: He was looking for a new 356 with specific options, and the local dealers were selling enough that they were not willing to do anything special to get a car for him. He bypassed them, and ordered his dream car through a dealer in Germany which shipped the car to him in Los Angeles. He picked it up off the docks in San Pedro, and imported it himself. This explains the unusual kardex showing a dealer in Germany, but the first service in the USA (European delivery cars were usually serviced prior to shipping). He sold the car in 1965, and the history up until the early 1980’s is unknown. The previous owner did have some documentation which suggests it was owned in Oregon up until the late 90’s, then imported into Canada in the late 1990s, but not registered here until 2009, so it would have likely been in storage.
The previous owner crossed one item off my bucket list by driving the car from Canada to Los Angeles in August/September 2014, returning along Highway 1 almost all the way back: “I re-introduced the car to its original owner and he drove it like an old pro.”
Body:
• This car has a very honest, solid body that has only a few minor issues that don’t need immediate attention but could be corrected during the next repaint. There are a handful of minor bubbles in the bottoms of the doors and along the splash areas.
• The previous owner did all the underside work in 2009, and reworked the exterior in 2011/12. His approach was to make the car look as good as it can, without getting obsessed about having perfect paint, so he could drive it and enjoy it without worrying.
• In 2009, all door, sunroof and window seals were replaced, including the felt channels in the doors.
• In 2011, the previous owner replaced some of the bumper guards, all the bumper and rocker trim, all trim seals, installed NOS tail lights and really nice front lights, NOS upper horn grills, repro lower grills, a NOS hood handle and crest, new Hella headlight glass and repro headlight trim.
• Hood has no numbers, assumed to be non-original, but fits very well. There was minor damage on the right side edge, but the structure appears undamaged.
Paint:
• 10-15 year-old paint job, color sanded in 2012, looks fantastic in most places. The color is not a 100% match (very close, although it changes in different lighting), and the paint is not as hard and durable as 2 stage paint – this is noticeable if you’re looking for it (more so on the passenger door).
Underside:
• Original undercoat removed by hand, repainted with POR-15 or Rustoleum paint, and undercoated in the wheel wells.
• The floor was left with just the paint (Rustoleum). This work was done in 2009, and no touch-ups have been done since.
• According to the previous owner:
o No welding/metalwork has been done – everything is original to the car. The battery box is completely solid, and 100% original. The floor is completely solid and 100% original.
Engine:
• 1883cc, on a Super 90 case (early large pump timing cover, later 616/7 case halves).
• Line bored to standard, late S90 crank turned to first under, NOS 912 heads built by Competition Engineering with street porting,
• Datsun intake valves, intake manifolds match-ported, Elgin 7010-17 cam, LN Engineering “Nickies” cylinders and JE forged pistons, 10.0:1 compression ratio (can be run with 91/92 octane gas with caution in high-load situations), aluminum oil cooler, Precision Matters spin-on full flow oil filter, Dellorto 40 DRLA carbs with K&N element filters housed inside original Knecht filters and Ignition 123 programmable distributor.

The engine runs great, pulls very strong from 2500 RPM right up to 6000 RPM(and beyond if it wasn’t for the rev limiter). This 356B can cruise all day at 80+ mph. It will even run smoothly in 4th at 35 mph, and pull smoothly from there. This engine isn’t peaky or fussy – it just works very well. A leak-down test in summer of 2014 (at about 6000 miles) showed 96% -98%, cranking PSI is 170 +/- <5.

Brad Penn oil used since rebuild (30W break-in then 20/50 since then).
Transmission – (not original to the car):
• Rebuilt by Eric Wills/Willswerkes
Suspension:
• Factory camber compensator, Willhoit 17.5mm sway bar on front, Koni steering damper and shocks all around, on Vredestein tires (10,000 miles/6 years old). Almost every bearing/bushing/mounting was replaced. Ride is smooth, quiet and tight. Tracks straight down the highway, with minimal road noise or vibration transmitted through the wheel.
• Original chrome wheels were rechromed by Bolton, and finished with new repro hubcaps (the good ones) from Stoddard/NLA.
Brakes:
• All new hoses, wheel cylinders, hardware, etc. All new lines (other than the one through the tunnel). All drums turned and shoes arced to match. ATE dual master cylinder for safety, with reservoir accessible through the steering box access cover in the trunk.
Interior:
• Seats and headrests covered in leather from Autos International
• Headliner made from German 911 material by Autobahn Interiors
• Door panels, rear panels, dash top supplied by Autos International
• Bruce Crawford VDM-style wheel, 15” diameter for more knee room
• Deluxe horn ring
Instruments:
• Rebuilt by Palo Alto Speedo, tach is electric (original cable still in place, but electric was needed because of the full-flow oil filter addition)
• Clock not rebuilt, works much of the time, but will stop working temporarily if the car is not driven – the movement seems to wake it up again.
Locks and keys:
• Door handles restored by Victor Miles, one complete set of NOS keys for doors, ignition, transmission lock and glovebox lock.
Miscellaneous:
• Electrical:
o Retains 6 volt system and works very well
• Starter and generator both rebuilt in 2014
• New Optima battery in 2014
• Original accessory socket under dash provides 6 volts
• Cigarette lighter provides 12 volts, with sufficient power to run a radar detector, GPS and charge a phone at the same time
• 6 volt H4 halogens provide modern lighting
• Relays added for headlight high/low switching (takes load off signal stock) and for the starter (takes load off starter switch)
The car now has 10,000 miles of trouble-free driving since most of the mechanical work, and about 5000 miles since color sanding and touching up the body, replacing seals, lights, etc. Without issue it completed a 400 mile round trip in May of 2015, and we would not expect any issues taking it on an extended road trip tomorrow.
This exceedingly well-optioned and mechanically sorted factory sunroof coupe will be ideal for the enthusiast looking for a car that can be driven aggressively on long distance road trips in all-weather scenarios- with the windows down and the sunroof open when it is clear, and in a comfortable coupe when it’s raining.